Staff Merry-Go-Round 2019

[kdaddy]

15 hours ago, year1buick said:

He also stressed that the corps shouldn’t just limit itself to “classical” but, instead, think of their choices in terms of “great music,” framed within Regiment hallmarks of power, emotion, etc. 

I completely agree with this take. 

However, is "Picture Studies" by Adam Schoenberg considered to be "great music"? Is "A Child's Garden of Dreams" great music when only a snippet is used (to feature trombones)?

I just don't want to see "we're forced to play classical music" used to excuse ineffective arranging.

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, kdaddy said:

I completely agree with this take. 

However, is "Picture Studies" by Adam Schoenberg considered to be "great music"? Is "A Child's Garden of Dreams" great music when only a snippet is used (to feature trombones)?

I just don't want to see "we're forced to play classical music" used to excuse ineffective arranging.

this. Even in more recent shows with success, Phantom had that rare trait....musical lines you could follow and not just snippets that fit the visual designers vision. 

[kdaddy]

Really glad the brass caption head is returning, and the new ensemble and visual guys look promising.

http://regiment.org/2019-instructional-staff/

 

Edited September 19, 2018 by kdaddy

[1956OPR]

3 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

this. Even in more recent shows with success, Phantom had that rare trait....musical lines you could follow and not just snippets that fit the visual designers vision. 

Perhaps this is the core of the Regiment's difficulties these past 6 years : they have succumbed to the temptation that the musical folks should defer to the visual addicts and allow the latter to control the program ( I am thinking here of "17's Phantasm)...without restraint. It is time for our Program Director to take control again and to have the visual people create the visuals in accordance with the theme/story and music.

As for a theme, it seems that has been a mystery wrapped in a penumbra wrapped in an enigma wrapped in tinfoil these past few years. Knock off these abstruse abstract "idea" themes; curtail the temptations to get cute; if at all possible, do not employ "designers" who constantly recycle old high school themes and drills; choose a program that we can explain in one short phrase or paragraph and to which the audience can say " We get it".

Look first among the thousands of classical or modern operas, ballets, and other historical music presentations for an idea (e.g., Rhapsody in "05", Faust in "06", Spartacus in "08", Into the Light in "10", Juliet in "11" and Turandot in "12"} and then build upon its music and story theme with sustained music passages that allow visual development. 

[NakedEye]

6 hours ago, kdaddy said:

just don't want to see "we're forced to play classical music" used to excuse ineffective arranging.

Claiming to be boxed in by being "forced" to use classical music has always been a cop out. It is some of the most powerful and effective music ever written, with a huge range of intensity, speed, emotion and nuance to choose from. There is no reason you can't present an entirely modern theme, set to a score from 1910. Lack of imagination and creativity is the problem, not an insufficient genre.

Most artists will tell you that the best ideas come from working within parameters. It provokes you to come up with unusual solutions.  So let's see more of those and less bellyaching about not enough tools in the toolkit.

[BRASSO]

39 minutes ago, 1956OPR said:

Perhaps this is the core of the Regiment's difficulties these past 6 years : they have succumbed to the temptation that the musical folks should defer to the visual addicts and allow the latter to control the program ( I am thinking here of "17's Phantasm)...without restraint. It is time for our Program Director to take control again and to have the visual people create the visuals in accordance with the theme/story and music.

 

..... even if they do all this, none of it will matter much if their Guard is an 11th place Guard in abilities & execution, imo. In Phantom's best seasons, they were always 2/3/ 4 in Guard. As recently as 2012., Phantom Regiment had a medals worthy ( 3rd place ) Guard. Phantom Regiment was 11th in Guard at Championships last month . Music can't make Phantom Regiment soar in placements no matter the Visuals/ Theme,  if the Phantom Regiment's Guard remains so subpar compared to the Top 8..

Edited September 19, 2018 by BRASSO

[xandandl]

26 minutes ago, 1956OPR said:

Perhaps this is the core of the Regiment's difficulties these past 6 years : they have succumbed to the temptation that the musical folks should defer to the visual addicts and allow the latter to control the program ( I am thinking here of "17's Phantasm)...without restraint. It is time for our Program Director to take control again and to have the visual people create the visuals in accordance with the theme/story and music.

As for a theme, it seems that has been a mystery wrapped in a penumbra wrapped in an enigma wrapped in tinfoil these past few years. Knock off these abstruse abstract "idea" themes; curtail the temptations to get cute; if at all possible, do not employ "designers" who constantly recycle old high school themes and drills; choose a program that we can explain in one short phrase or paragraph and to which the audience can say " We get it".

Look first among the thousands of classical or modern operas, ballets, and other historical music presentations for an idea (e.g., Rhapsody in "05", Faust in "06", Spartacus in "08", Into the Light in "10", Juliet in "11" and Turandot in "12"} and then build upon its music and story theme with sustained music passages that allow visual development. 

I agree with everything you say except boxing people who like drill into the category of "visual addicts."  To me, that is part of the current problem as Regiment tries to re-define and re-discover its identity in this time of a shift in what drum corps visuals and drill entail. Almost no corps did a drill show this season that was memorable for something new; the only outstanding drills or major parts thereof were re-hashes from the past (Troopers, Cadets, in some ways SCV if one knew where to look.) Now the enigmatic "staging" and props drive the show. Regiment has done poorly with both since the demise of Queen Joan. But the problem is larger than Regiment.

[BlueStainGlass]

1 hour ago, kdaddy said:

Really glad the brass caption head is returning, and the new ensemble and visual guys look promising.

http://regiment.org/2019-instructional-staff/

 

One of Madisons worst captions went to Phantom and Phantoms best caption went to Madison. Looks like Madison won this deal. 

[MotoSurfBass]

1 hour ago, BlueStainGlass said:

One of Madisons worst captions went to Phantom and Phantoms best caption went to Madison. Looks like Madison won this deal. 

I have no idea what an "Ensemble Specialist" entails, but James is a fantastic educator. I always felt the issue with Madison's percussion was uninspired writing, especially in the pit, but if Phantom keeps Ferguson's writing I actually like this pickup for them a lot.

[kdaddy]

1 hour ago, BlueStainGlass said:

One of Madisons worst captions went to Phantom and Phantoms best caption went to Madison. Looks like Madison won this deal. 

It would appear that the guy from one of Madison's worst captions won't be directly involved in that caption at Phantom Regiment.